Hess, R. | The Corps Environment, p 33, May 2019

Environmental cleanup continues in northern New York at the Army's 108,000-acre training installation known as Fort Drum. The innovative effort of the post's Installation Restoration Program (IRP) team was recognized with a 2019 Secretary of the Army Award for Environmental Restoration (Installation). For example, the IRP team in 2017 completed a single in situ chemical oxidation injection to address PCE found in an aquifer. Sampling in 2018 showed a sharp decrease in contaminants that resulted in the site's closure and saved the Army more than $750,000. The team also addressed petroleum contamination from underground storage tanks and piping that persisted despite previous remediation efforts. Two of the five sites active at the beginning of this award cycle were closed in May 2018, ahead of the 2020 objective, saving more than $300,000 in system operating and electrical costs. The remaining three petroleum-contaminated sites saw significant progress as well, allowing the team to focus on persistent problem areas and expand use of solar and waste heat from remediation equipment to enhance biodegradation. During cleanup of a 500,000-gal jet fuel spill, the team in 2018 recommended permanent shutdown of several components of the groundwater remediation system. The spill cleanup currently is five years ahead of schedule, resulting in a savings of $11.5M. The team previously demonstrated the application of a thermal in situ sustainable technology that uses solar energy to remediate soil and groundwater via a closed-loop system. In addition, Fort Drum is implementing phytoremediation systems, using willows to extract and metabolize contaminants at a closed solid waste landfill and switch grass seedlings to treat range residuals. The team is also involved in cutting-edge research to evaluate the use of specialized microbes to enhance PFAS biodegradation. https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll8/id/4044